Fairy Cakes

In the UK (and other places with such an influence, like South Africa) cupcakes are lovingly referred to as "fairy cakes". A much better name than calling cookies "biscuits". Anyway, for Madeline's 2nd birthday I was inspired to find an "official" fairy cake recipe. This gloriously simple, but delicious one lives up to the name—light, delicious and magical. I, of course, messed with the recipe a little adding coconut extract and lime zest. And of course orange icing and blueberries for M. Happy 2nd to our little Wood pixie!

Brickles Fairy Cakes

1 cube butter (at room temp)
1/2 c sugar
2 eggs (at room temp)
1/2 c flour
1/2 t baking powder
pinch salt
lime zest from one lime
1/4 t coconut extract

Icing
1 c sifted Powdered
Juice of a lime
orange food coloring

Blueberries to decorate

Preheat oven to 375F. Beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy in Kitchenaid. Add eggs one at a time, then extract and zest, and beat on high until blended. Gently fold the flour into the butter mixture until combined. Scoop batter into 7 or 8 standard-sized fairy cakes. Bake for 17 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on rack while preparing the icing. Add drops of coloring to the lime juice, then slowly add juice to sugar until spreadable but still fairly stiff. Drop on each cake and let spread out. Top with berries, and enjoy with a wee person...or at least someone with a twinkle in their eye...

I Want More Sushi

And, sometimes Katrina doesn't cook. With the heat lately, we've been doing a lot of salads, bbq, etc. and often having "Pickies" for lunch. My mom served pickies a lot when I was a kid—almost like Bento boxes—a bunch of different little choices for your meal. We were allowed to use toothpicks as utensils...and pick what we wanted, hence the title of the meal. Works great for kids because they get to choose what they eat...from a variety of things that you want them to have. I'm usually surprised by what M chooses, and she always eats really well this way. Plus, I usually clean up a lot of the little dabs of things left in the fridge.

With cut-up fruit and veggies from the organic box, hummus and pitas from our favorite little Greek place, tidbits from the bbq, and nibbles from the deli, we're set. M loves the Milano salami from the deli and the brown rice California Roll too. Pair that with homemade lemonade and fresh (whole) raspberries popsicles for dessert. Summer's pretty tasty!